Pork lobbyist helping lead “nonpartisan” group working against state animal welfare laws
The Carver Center for Agriculture & Nutrition’s op-eds and analyses papers fail to mention that its chairman, Andy Curliss, is also the vice president of strategic engagement for the National Pork Producers Council, which has been leading the meat industry’s push against state animal welfare laws.
EPA walks back PFAS drinking water protections
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday proposed dropping limits for four cancer-linked “forever chemicals” in drinking water established during the Biden administration, saying the changes were rushed and not in compliance with federal law.
EPA failing to protect Iowa from farm pollution in drinking water supplies, lawsuit alleges
US regulators illegally backed away from responsibilities related to pollution-laden waterways in Iowa after meeting with officials from the state’s powerful farm lobby, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.
Loan transfer removes bulk of USDA digester delinquencies amid pause
The US government is no longer guaranteeing funding for the nation’s largest manure digester project that was years behind on paying its loans, but the troubled government loan program that had backed that project and many others remains on hold.
With a rich payout to lawyers but little for plaintiffs, Bayer’s Roundup settlement faces critics, doubts
A class action settlement proposed in the nationwide Roundup litigation would award $675 million to lawyers who negotiated the settlement, while plaintiffs suffering from cancer would receive, on average, $10,000 to $165,000 each, according to a new court filing in the case.
Colorado CAFOs linked to ammonia air pollution hotspots
Levels of airborne ammonia, which can harm people’s ability to breathe, are increasing three times faster each year in Colorado’s Front Range where there are clusters of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) compared to nearby urban areas without the massive livestock farms, according to a new study.
Cheers to independent journalism: A message to TNL readers
The first time I heard Amy Goodman’s voice on the independent news program Democracy Now!, it was 2016 and I was fresh out of journalism grad school. I was still new to Washington, DC, where I lived in an eclectic seven-person group house and wrote about earthquakes and asteroid dust for my (paid!) internship at a science news magazine.
Farm country critics balk at carbon capture projects, citing health risks of “grand experiment”
Julie Fosdick’s farm in Logan County, Illinois, has been in the family for almost 200 years, but it wasn’t until recently that it started attracting attention for its potential to make other people money. With 200 acres of mostly corn and soybeans that she manages for her four siblings, she’s drawn “a constant barrage” of offers from people interested in populating her land with solar panels or wind turbines.
Health advocates demand federal action in nitrate “health emergency”
More than 80 health and environmental groups are calling on federal agencies to use emergency powers to protect Americans from a “public health emergency” driven by industrial farming practices that are dangerously polluting drinking water.
Controversial Farm Bill measure targeting state animal laws heads to Senate showdown
Animal welfare advocates are preparing for a fight in the US Senate where the new Farm Bill will be taken up in the next couple months, bringing with it a contentious provision that would undo state measures to protect livestock.